cannot find desktop.plist on 10.5.5

C

coolpor2

Registered
Hi all

So i'm trying to locate the desktop.plist file on an intel imac running OSX
10.5.5 in order to copy the file into WGM to manage the background image
for a group of imac machines.

I can't find the desktop.plist file on any of the machines in ~/Library/Preferences/desktop.plist

The file has never been there to delete, all machines were imaged from an intel source machine from the preinstall of leopard. The 10.5.5 update was added later from software update on the source machine.

How do i get hold of a compatible desktop.plist file ?? that i can use to manage the desktop for each machine.
 
Usually things in the Library folders don't show up in Spotlight searches (at least on my systems).

If you manually navigate to ~/Library/Preferences and sort by name, is the file there?

Both of my machines (OS X 10.4.11 and OS X 10.5.5) have this file in the ~/Library/Preferences folder.

If you enter the following into a Terminal window, does it find anything (it will list the full path to the file if it does)?
Code: 
find -f ~/Library/Preferences | grep com.apple.desktop
 
I've tried the find command you suggested and it returns nothing.

I have however managed to find a workaround.....one of my colleagues has an MBAir and i copied the com.apple.desktop.plist file from that. It must be the only machine in the org that has the file.

I then copied that into the Network home folder for A user account and modified the keys to include the appropriate desktop image, imported into WGM where i changed the background keys to 'Always'. Now on each machine which is part of the group where the desktop policy is applied the following happens....

The first time the user tries to set a background picture nothing happens i.e they are prevented from doing so, and is if by magic the com.apple.desktop.plist file appears in the users Preferences folder for the first time.

It works, but can anyone explain to me what's going on here. I'm really suprised that i don't have to copy the desktop.plist to every users network home. The policy seems to do the job of creating the missing desktop.plist file based on this action of trying to set the desktop background.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
Usually things in the Library folders don't show up in Spotlight searches (at least on my systems).
Click to expand...

I tested my previous advice out on my System before posting.

Spotlight finds my ~/Library/.plist files ...

20081203-d3dx63bnywqug5gdny63g7qtt2.png


The policy seems to do the job of creating the missing desktop.plist file based on this action of trying to set the desktop background.
Click to expand...

I think that's basically the answer, if you were to delete a certain preference file, then it is re-created the next time it's needed, as in "trying to set the desktop background"

I tried an experiment:

  1. Navigated to ~/Library/Preferences & relocated com.apple.desktop.plist to the Desktop and renamed it.
  2. Logged out then in again.
  3. Noted that my previously set Desktop picture was no longer in place.
  4. Navigated to ~/Library/Preferences and noted that the com.apple.desktop.plist was missing.
  5. Kept the Finder window open as I set a new Desktop picture, keeping an eye on the spot where the missing plist file should be and noted that the com.apple.desktop.plist file was created as the new Desktop picture was set..



.
 
Last edited:
Ah, in my Spotlight preferences, the Library folder is not listed as one of the search folders. Neither is my home folder (just a few sub-folders of my home folder).

Prob'ly why... ;)
 
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